Bangladesh, April 4 -- The current crisis surrounding NATO is not the result of a single political decision or a sudden shock. Instead, it reflects a long-term structural transformation shaped by shifting global realities, internal divisions, and the gradual weakening of the conditions that once justified its existence. When Donald Trump openly threatened to withdraw the United States from the alliance, the relatively calm reaction across Western capitals suggested something deeper than surprise. It indicated a growing awareness that NATOs foundational assumptions are increasingly under pressure.

At its creation in 1949, NATO was built on a clear and urgent strategic need. The presence of the Soviet Union provided a shared external threa...